Hamilton bus service expands following "overwhelming" passenger support

Daily Record

22-05-2025

JMB Travel's X1 route linking the town with Glasgow has carried more than 40,000 passengers in its first four months
The new operators of a bus service connecting Hamilton to Glasgow have expanded its timetable after being 'overwhelmed' by its popularity among local residents and commuters – with more than 40,000 passenger journeys being taken in its first four months of operation.
JMB Travel have already added extra journeys for the Glasgow Fast X1 service, now providing half-hourly services to and from Glasgow at the respective morning and afternoon peaks and a later final return of the evening from Glasgow, after passengers responded in numbers when they stepped in to reinstate the link between Hillhouse, Earnock, Hamilton town centre and the city.
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The bus firm say the 'impressive start' has 'exceeded initial expectations'; and are now also reducing the price of weekly tickets to assist commuters whose regular train journeys home from Glasgow are impacted by the current closure of the eastbound platform at Hamilton West station until late August while a £2.1 million refurbishment takes place.
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JMB Travel managing director Martin Bell said: 'We have been overwhelmed by, and are grateful, for the support of the local communities in Hamilton we serve with the X1; we regularly receive great feedback about the small team of regular drivers who operate the service, and how reliable it is.
'We were pleased to be able to introduce more trips last month and delighted to now follow this up with a reduction in the price of a weekly ticket, to help make our customers' daily commute easier and cheaper. '
He added: 'We hope that customer numbers will continue to grow which will allow us to invest further in the service in the longer term.'
Residents in Hillhouse and Earnock staged a long-running campaign including a street demonstration and a petition mentioned at the Scottish Parliament, calling for reinstatement of a bus service in their area after the previous First Bus daytime express to the city centre was withdrawn five years ago.
They gained the support of cross-party local politicians – and then finally got back on the road in January when JMB launched their new route, linking the residential areas with Hamilton town centre and then heading straight for Buchanan bus station in Glasgow.
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Now the new services to meet customer demand include an earlier morning arrival into Glasgow, picking up its first passengers in Hamilton at 6.20am; plus additional services in the morning and afternoon and an evening extension to the timetable to benefit both workers and leisure visitors.
A company spokesperson added: 'We have been overwhelmed at the amount of support we've received from the Hamilton communities the Glasgow Fast X1 bus serves – so much so that we have added extra services at busy times due to popular demand.
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'It now operates up to every 30 minutes at certain times, and we have also added a later evening trip from Glasgow, departing at 7.40pm, to help shift workers and anyone out shopping after work or enjoying a day in the city.
'Now with the platform refurbishment about to get underway at Hamilton West station for 15 weeks, we have decided to lower the price of our weekly ticket from £38 to £30 to help regular commuters whose train journeys will be disrupted.'
Major engineering work at Hamilton West station means eastbound trains heading from Glasgow to Motherwell and Larkhall will not call at the station for more than three months while platform two is demolished and rebuilt with improved surfacing, drainage and tactile paving.
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The platform is due to reopen and services to resume on August 29, with rail passengers asked to travel instead to the next stop at Hamilton Central.
JMB say displaced passengers can instead complete their journey by bus, saying: 'Instead of needing to make their way to Hamilton Central, where parking spaces are restricted, the X1 will pick people up at all stops along the line of route in Hillhouse, High Earnock, Fairhill, Low Waters and Hamilton town centre before travelling to Glasgow fast along the motorways.'
Network Rail say: 'Hamilton West is a well-used station, important for people commuting to work or university, and so this project is vital to ensure it remains fit for purpose for years to come. Closing the platform is the only way we can deliver this work safely. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause some passengers and are grateful their patience and understanding.'
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JMB representatives of the bus operator met first minister John Swinney during a recent by-election campaign visit to High Earnock, and said: 'We highlighted the investment we have made to introduce the route, and how we're working hard to deliver a great service for local communities in Hamilton.
'The visit gave us the opportunity to demonstrate how bus operators can work in partnership with other local stakeholders to improve services and better connect communities.'